"A Memory of Murder"

Overall

Performance

Story

Late one hot, humid summer growing up in Minneapolis, I read all of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot mysteries. The Hennepin County Library sent a Bookmobile to our South Minneapolis neighborhood. It was walking distance close to a lovely lake, but no where near a brick and mortar library. On Tuesday evenings, I'd check out a stack of Christie paperbacks, and exchange them a week later for new books.

This performance of "Death on the Nile" (1937) was a nice reminder of that long ago time. It's a radio play, rather than a narration of the 288 page novel. The book had a host of characters - and suspects - that are edited and combined for this adaptation. It was a good decision, but there are still enough potential culprits to make the listen good. I knew the "who dunnit" going in, but with the notable exception of Christie's "Mousetrap" (1947, radio play, 1952 - present, West End Play), it's hard for any classic mystery fan not to know the ending to a Christie mystery. The enjoyment is in the telling and the listen.

Death on the Nile

John Moffatt stars as the famous Belgian detective in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of one of Christie's most popular novels. Linnet Ridgeway has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth, and a devoted husband, she has everything anyone could wish for. But as the happy couple set out on an idyllic honeymoon cruise on the Nile, storm clouds are gathering. Linnet's former friend, Jacqueline de Bellefort, follows her and Simon wherever they go and Linnet senses she is in danger.

Lady M says:"Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot"

"The Dimension of Imagination"

Overall

Performance

Story

When I grew up in the Midwest, television was analog broadcast only, in VHF and UHF. There were five stations that had mostly clear pictures except during thunderstorms, and each signed off every night with a color test pattern and a high pitched whine. Saturday nights on one of the independents - Channel 11 maybe? - were the best. That's when it showed black and white reruns of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" followed by "The Twilight Zone" before a special late 1 am sign off. Seeing the outline of Sir Alfred was always a thrill, although the stories weren't always great. "The Twilight Zone" never disappointed, though, from the eerie music to the cigarette-smoking Rod Serling.

The Audible plays in "The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas Volume I" are modern reimaginings of the actual shows I watched so many years ago. The scripts are fairly close to the original television broadcasts, but have sound effects and additional dialog that's needed to set the scene by audio only. There are also a few modern references sprinkled in that explain older technology - Richard Matheson's "Night Call" (1961), adeptly narrated by Marriette Hartley, wouldn't have worked without explaining telephone land lines.

These radio plays were made with the cooperation of the late Carol Serling, Rod Serling's wife, but Rod Serling's voice wasn't used as narrator. Instead, Stacy Keach, Jr. narrated. That was a nice complement to Rod Serling's "The Lateness of the Hour" (original, 1960) starring Jane Seymour and her then-husband, James Keach, Stacy Keach's brother.

I really enjoyed Blair Underwood in Serling's "The Thirty Fathom Grave" (original 1963). Christopher McDonald did fine in the famous Christmas Eve tale, "The Night of the Meek", but for me, Art Carney will always be the department store Santa with grime on the fur trim of his worn suit, carrying a bottle in one hand and dragging a forlornly empty bag in the other.

The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas, Volume 1

Experience one of television’s greatest science fiction series: The Twilight Zone. This collection of episodes is fully dramatized for audio and features a full cast, music, sound effects, and performances by some of today’s biggest celebrities.

Tango says:"Fun trip to the past"

"Where were you when Kennedy was shot?"

Overall

Performance

Story

About ten years ago, I was shocked when my now-teenager asked me, "Where we you when President Kennedy was killed?" I told him I was born after that, but I was sure his grandparents would remember. They do, of course - but even 50 years later, it's hard for them to talk about that day. My mother's eyes become unfocused, and she talks about the apartment she and my Dad lived in, and going to watch the news on the neighbors' black and white television. My Dad mumbles, talks about hearing the news at his first job after college, and looks at the floor.

"Three Shots Rang Out: The JFK Assassination 50 Years Later" (2013) is an ABC News Special by Diane Sawyer. Sawyer narrates a collection of radio stories and interviews, along with audio clips from television broadcasts made immediately after John F. Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963. "Three Shots" follows the story as reporters did, from Dealey Plaza to Kennedy's burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Audible version includes reporter interviews of witnesses made right after the assassination that have never been rebroadcast, which are fascinating today. The interviewees are calm, sound and relate what they saw, without speculation. That's a real contrast to today's requisite "How did it make you feel?" end-of-interview question. I do remember 9-11 quite vividly of course, and the news, and I always felt like saying "Why are you asking that question? How does it help the story? Do you think you'll get an answer other than an eloquent version of scared and devastated, followed by tears?"

Sawyer's piece also has interviews with the reporters, describing in more detail the various locations where the events happened. I was pretty startled to hear a thorough description of the Dallas Police Office basement, followed by audio of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald. I realized that the screams I heard were Oswald's. Millions of radio listeners must have heard the same thing 50 years ago.

It's a very good listen. If my future grandchildren ask me the same JFK question, I'll tell them to listen to this story.

Free: Three Shots Rang Out - The JFK Assassination 50 Years Later

This edition of Three Shots Rang Out: The JFK Assassination 50 Years Later is an audio-only ABC News special created exclusively for Audible and hosted by ABC World News Anchor Diane Sawyer. Sawyer takes listeners back to Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, for a “you are there” exploration of the day of U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

mary says:"Compelling"

New Releases

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Interview with Rickey Henderson

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Today on Opie and Jimmy, we start the show talking about Opie trying to get a photo with U2 last night, Sherrod Small joins the show, we find out Jim went out with a famous woman, and we talk more about Opie and U2. Matt Pinfield stops by to tell some stories about his time in the music industry. Bobcat Goldthwait and Barry Crimmins stop by to discuss their documentary.

Bennington, July 29, 2015

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The Bob Edwards Show, Peter Bogdanovich, July 29, 2015

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Neverwhere [Adaptation]

A BBC Radio six-part adaptation of Neil Gaiman's best-selling novel, starring James McAvoy as Richard and Natalie Dormer as Door. Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere....

Good Omens: The BBC Radio 4 dramitisation

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Cabin Pressure

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The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas, Volume 1

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